Press release

Tue, May 21st 2013 11:45 pm

More
than 1,500 health care workers from across New York packed the West
Capitol Park in Albany today for a rally in support of two bills to
address the patient care crisis in this state - the Safe Staffing
for Quality Care Act (A6571/ S3691-A), which would create safe
nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for acute care facilities, and the
Safe Patient Handling Act (A2180-A/S1123-A), which would create a
statewide safe patient handling policy.

Health
care workers from four unions - the New York State Nurses
Association, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the New York
State Public Employees Federation, and the Communications Workers of
America - have formed the New York Healthcare Workers Coalition to
advocate for patients with a united voice. The coalition is working
to enact these two bills this year to improve quality of care for
patients throughout New York.

Elected
leaders, including Sen. Kemp Hannon (R), Sen. George Maziarz (R),
Assembly Member Aileen Gunther (D), and Assembly Member Richard
Gottfried (D), who are chief sponsors of the two bills, spoke at the
rally as well as health care workers and patient advocates.

Today,
members of the New York Healthcare Workers Coalition met with more
than 150 state senators and Assembly members, and asked elected
leaders to support legislation for safe nurse staffing ratios and
safe patient handling.

"I've
been shocked to see New York emergency room nurses who are being
forced to take on 15, 16, and even more patients at a time. That's
not safe," said Jill Furillo, RN, executive director of the New
York State Nurses Association. "In California, the law says that
a hospital cannot assign more than four patients at a time to an ER
nurse - and sets minimum safe staffing levels for all hospital
units. There's no reason New York patients can't have that same
protection. Patients and caregivers are counting on our lawmakers to
pass the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act this session."

Norma
Amsterdam, RN, MA, executive vice president of the 1199SEIU League of
Registered Nurses, said, "Nurses and other health care workers
struggle to provide the best quality care to our patients every day
against increasing odds in a climate of cost cutting. The acuity
level of patients has escalated and therefore requires more nursing
hours. It is imperative to support and pass these very important
laws. Safe staffing and safe patient handling save lives and money."

"We
know that quality nursing care can mean the difference between life
and death for a patient," said Susan M. Kent, president of the New
York State Public Employees Federation. "We also know that
inadequate staffing results in poor patient outcomes. We are calling
on our lawmakers to pass both the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act
and the Safe Patient Handling Act to protect both nurses and patients
and to ensure delivery of the best possible health care."

"Without
enough nurses per patient, it is simply impossible for patients to
get the kind of care they deserve - the kind of care we all would
want for our loved ones," said Sarah Buckley, RN and representative
of Communications Workers of America. "It is scandalous that New
York state will not protect its residents when they are at their most
vulnerable. Just like family members want to be able to leave a
facility and sleep well knowing their family members are taken care
of, so do nurses want to sleep well knowing they had the resources
and capability to give the best care possible."

"Safe
nurse staffing reduces avoidable patient injuries and deaths," said
Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. "For example,
research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
determined the odds of patient death increased by 7 percent for each
additional patient the nurse must care for at one time. The ratios
and hours specified in this bill are based on peer-reviewed and
evidence-based recommendations, and will ensure that that hospitals
and nursing homes operate in a manner that guarantees the public
safety and quality health care services."

"A
strong safe patient handling program is good for workers, good for
employers and even better for patients," Maziarz said. "My bill
takes a common sense approach to ensure that hospitals and nursing
homes have a strong training program to ensure that every health care
worker is trained in safe lift techniques as well as in the use of
equipment that can assist in those lifts. The implementation of safe
patient handling will reduce worker's compensation costs, reduce
workplace injuries and, most importantly, protect the health and
safety of patients. I am confident that this will be the year that we
finally pass these protections in both houses and send them to the
governor for his signature."

Safe
Staffing for Quality Care Act

Health
care workers say that, right now, New York patients are at risk
because health care administrators are forcing nurses to take on
nine, 10, or even more patients at once. That's why the New York
Healthcare Workers Coalition supports the Safe Staffing for Quality
Care Act.

This
legislation, similar to a bill that has already been enacted in
California, will require all acute care facilities to comply with
safe minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. The bill would also
require all residential health care facilities to comply with minimum
care hours for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and
certified nurse aides.

The
Coalition of New York Healthcare Workers supports the Safe Patient
Handling Act, legislation that would create a statewide safe patient
handling policy for all health care facilities in New York state.

The
coalition said safe patient handling practices reduce injuries for
patients and for health care workers that result from manual lifting.
The bill would require each hospital and nursing home in the state to
provide proper equipment and training in the context of a program
developed by the facility and tailored to its specific needs.